Gala Committee 3
Gala Committee 3
Over the years some of the profit from the galas was spent on items to improve the events. The early opportunity to buy three genuine market stalls complete with red and white striped awnings seemed an extravagance at the time, but turned out to be most useful. The striped tops added to the appearance of the field as well as providing protection from the weather for the goods, if not for the stall holders. Wood was bought to make a robust slippery pole and stand and soon the committee bought proper holders for a coconut shy, genuine hoopla rings and blocks and roll-a-penny equipment. Other things were made by members – a stand for the ever popular crockery breaking, a goal board for football games, a fine tombola drum and wheel of fortune, these last two very well made by Jim Westwood. Things like the football game, treasure hunt and straw-picking were frequently repainted or remodeled so that the same basic game fit with the year’s theme. The queen’s throne was a splendid old chair, restored and reupholstered by Peter Hopkinson.
Galas were publicised by a team who put up poster boards throughout and around the village, and sometimes with a large hanging banner in Main Street. They were advertised in the society’s own newsletter, in publications like the Bradford ‘What’s On’ and the local press gave good coverage, but there were always a few who claimed not to know anything about it.
After the jubilee, the galas calmed down again to Saturday events, staying with the first Saturday in July in the hope of generally better weather and to come earlier in the local gala season.
1978 saw Heather Chambers crowned at the Storytime Gala and a new entertainment when the Wilsden Skateboard Club gave a dare devil display. There was a display by Wilsden Girls Gym Club as well as the usual Punch and Judy and a performance by Bellraven Scout Band.
In 1979 the circus came to town with the Big Top Gala. Lindsay Moorhouse was queen, Meltham Majorettes led the parade and Pickles the Clown with his performing dogs provided appropriate entertainment. Flying trapeze was beyond the committee’s powers to organise, but they did provide a cable inspection vehicle to give exciting bird’s-eye views of the gala.
The topography of the site coupled with the increasing cost of insurance ruled out donkey rides.
Gala profits had remained fairly steady over the years, though reduced in real terms since expenses went up but the committee always tried to keep prices down so that the gala could remain a good family day out. In addition, by 1979 half the stalls were being run by other village organisations who paid a small rent but kept their own proceeds. 1979 yielded £210 for WVS funds. One drawback of the village hall site was the impossibility of controlling entry with no boundary fence, so takings from programme sales were inevitably less.
The 1980 ‘2001 Gala’ took space and the future as its theme. Fancy dress produced all manner of spacemen and aliens, but one greatly appreciated entrant wore sandwich boards proclaiming ‘Wilsden News 2001 – the road’s been made up!’ The gala secretary wrote to the American Enbassy and to the USAF at Mildenhall in the hopes of getting posters or other display material about the American space programme, but to no avail. Committee members showed their usual resourcefulness in devising new games such as flying saucers using silver Frisbees, name the robot, and throwing balls into a black hole which had been an open-mouthed clown the year before. As well as more usual entertainments, the Yorkshire Water authority brought an exhibition. The Mixenden Royals Jazz Band played. Karen Mercer was queen. The following Saturday, she won the Queen’s Float competition at Cullingworth Gala.
In 1981 the relevant Saturday was the 4th of July, so it is not surprising that Wilsden put on the All American Gala. However a distinctly French flavour was added when Wilsden Twinning Association organised a visit by 54 French men, women and children from Wilsden’s twin town Eppeville for the same weekend. While not quite equalling the jubilee programme, the committee did arrange a week of events leading up to gala day: Sunday June 28th a round Wilsden pram race, Monday a carnival disco for over 14s, Tuesday Mild and Bitter finals, Wednesday family sport evening, Thursday Senior Citizens slideshow and songs by Parkside Middle School, a junior disco in the evening for 10-13 year olds, Friday film show for under 10s and of course Saturday the gala and dance. Donna Gavros at twelve years old was the youngest gala queen since the galas re-started in 1971. Part of the reason for the queens being younger was that older teenagers were getting Saturday jobs, which made it difficult for them to fulfil their two main engagements during the year. One was to attend the Senior Citizens’ party where they usually gave out raffle prizes, the other to come to the following year’s gala to crown their successor, both these being Saturday events. Donna went on to win first prize for a queen’s float at Haworth gala. In Wilsden a barbeque and waffles gave refreshments a transatlantic flavour and floats, fancy dress and games reflected the theme, though entertainment by Uncle Ernie, Wilsden Girls Gym Club and Bradford Boys’ Brigade Band were rather Old World while a colourful display by the Eppeville Majorettes et la Fanfare added to the international mix.
Shipley MP Marcus Fox and his wife judged the fancy dress, accompanied by a genuine American, Dr. Barrett, visiting family in Wilsden at just the right time.
